ATA/AAIT Translation Tools Seminar – June 5-6, 2010 April 29, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in ATA, Tools, Translation.add a comment
I just received the following e-mail about an upcoming ATA seminar. If I wasn’t moving June 1st I would definitely be attending. I find that ATA’s smaller conferences/seminars tend to be more beneficial with regard to meeting clients. This seminar just sounds cool since it will be focusing on translation tools, which every translator should confidently use or at least be familiar with. I find translation tools increase my efficiency. If it wasn’t for my translation tool I would not have been able to translate 780 words in 45 minutes yesterday. PDF conversion is also a very important skill every translator should have. If you can attend this seminar I would highly recommend it!
ATA/AAIT TRANSLATION TOOLS SEMINAR
Hyatt Regency
Atlanta, Georgia
June 5-6, 2010
An ATA Professional Development Event
Presented by the American Translators Association and the Atlanta Association of Interpreters and Translators
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WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND THIS SEMINAR?
The ATA/AAIT Translation Tools Seminar offers a unique opportunity to enhance your skills and advance your career! To learn more, click on http://www.atanet.org/pd/tools
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BY ATTENDING THIS SEMINAR, YOU WILL:
– Receive training specific to your needs as an experienced translator and interpreter
– Acquire a set of tools that will enable you to work more efficiently and produce quality work
– Discover the tools you need for successful terminology maintenance, quality assurance, and project management
– Understand how to fully utilize the PDF documents you encounter on a daily basis
– Connect with colleagues, company owners, and seasoned professionals at the Networking Session
– Market your services by taking part in the Job Marketplace
– Obtain the professional development you need to enhance the added-value you can offer in a competitive marketplace
To learn more, click on http://www.atanet.org/pd/tools
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REGISTER FOR BOTH DAYS AND SAVE!
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY RATES:
– Early Registration Rates (by May 30)
ATA & AAIT Members $215
Nonmembers $385
– Late Registration Rates (after May 30)
ATA & AAIT Members $260
Nonmembers $430
Space is limited. Register today!
Saturday-only and Sunday-only rates are also available.
To register, click on http://www.atanet.org/pd/tools/register.htm
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BOOK YOUR HOTEL BY MAY 4 FOR ATA RATE!
Located along historic Peachtree Street, the Hyatt Regency is a short walk to the Georgia Aquarium and Peachtree Center Mall, and is only 12 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The special ATA rate of $126 single/double a night (plus tax) is available until May 4, 2010, or as space allows. Call the Hyatt at +1-888-421-1442 and ask for the special ATA rate!
To learn more, click on http://www.atanet.org/pd/tools/hotel.htm
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CONTINUING EDUCATION
ATA-certified translators can earn up to 9 ATA Continuing Education Points for attending this seminar.
What I’m reading this morning April 26, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.2 comments
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I am taking a page from Corinne’s blog, Thoughts on Translation, and sharing some of the things I read this morning that I think might interest you, my fellow translators.
- Freelancer Road Trip: Essential Supplies is a must-read for any translator who loves the fact that our job allows us to work from anywhere. It is important to balance work and vacation time, but sometimes we need to work during a trip to ensure we make a deadline. Her list of must-haves for working while on a road trip is eye-opening. The blog author was offered the opportunity to take a 15-hour road trip to the beach. She accepted, but with the caveat that she would be working on the trip down and sporadically while at the beach. A very cool idea!
- Erik Hansson has shared 16 safe ways for freelancers to ruin their relationship with a translation agency as a download on his website. This is a good reminder for long-term translators as well as valuable advice for those of you just starting out in the field.
- There is a discussion on ProZ.com about a recent poll on What is the worst that can ever happen to a translator. It might be comforting to know that being sued for a mistranslation hasn’t been mentioned (oops, did I say that? If it makes you feel any better, I have never heard of an actual case of a translator being sued for a mistranslation in my 15 years as a translator…). In any event, it is an interesting read if just for the fact that if you are aware of the worst things that can happen you can be prepared with a solution in case they do.
- Since I am moving at the end of the month I am looking forward to organizing a new office space. I will be moving to a 2-bedroom apartment that will allow me to house guests in the office instead of just having them sleep on a pull-out sofa in the living room (my current office is too small, not to mention unheated). How Things Work featured Five Tips for Multi-Use Office/Guest Rooms yesterday, and I read some very good tips in it. My current desk, which I bought at a garage sale, is being held up by filing cabinets and a hanging folder organizer. My neighbor is giving me his old desk, so I am looking forward to reorganizing my workspace. I also can’t wait to buy a chaise lounge or sleeper couch for my office.
Social media madness April 14, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Random musings.11 comments
ProZ.com, LinkedIn, Watercooler, Langmates, Twitter, Facebook – where does it end? I get an invitation to join a new social media group for translators at least once a week. I don’t know about you, but I am way too busy translating to spend hours on these various sites. I keep up with Twitter for professional reasons and Facebook for personal ones (don’t ask me to friend you on FB if I have not met you in person and I would invite you into my home overnight), but that is about it. I think Watercooler is a great new alternative, but I honestly don’t have the time or energy to check it out. I haven’t looked at my LinkedIn profile in a while, but I have certain Twitter posts feeding into it so it looks like I do. And don’t even get me started about ProZ.com…
So you are probably wondering why I decided to post on this subject. I received several e-mails from the various sites to which I belong all at once this morning – not to mention an invitation to a new social media group for translators. It seems like every translator and their brother is starting a new social media group. The latest invitation this morning was for Langmates. I’m sure it will be a wonderful site, but I simply don’t have the time to look into it. I have 10,000 words to translate by Friday. I also received several Twitter new follower announcements, a survey about whether I would pay a nominal fee to use one of the sites (I’m a member but don’t visit it, so that would be a no), a friend request for Watercooler, and a moderation request for one of my Yahoogroups for a member who I have specifically set to “no moderation” because her posts are constantly flagged. I’ve spent about 20 minutes on e-mail and haven’t even opened the job requests or read a single personal e-mail. I don’t know about you, but that can ruin this girl’s mood.
So I ask you, how do you pick and choose which sites to use and which ones to be active on? At this point I’m starting to reach social media overload. I’m sure there will be a group for that started soon…
Subject: Fwd: FW: Experianced Linguist Ready to Work! April 6, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Fun stuff.2 comments
The following e-mail has been making the rounds. Thought I would share it with you all to brighten your day. The e-mail tells you to scroll to the bottom, but I have flipped it here to make it easier to read in blog format. Enjoy!
Subject: Fwd: FW: Experianced Linguist Ready to Work!
Names have been changed, to protect the innocent.
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From: Joricho Muachos
To: Linguistic Resources Coordinator
Sent: Thu, April 1, 2010 2:52:03 PM
Subject: Experianced Linguist Ready to Work!
Greetings Ms. Linguistic Resources Coordinator,
I hope this email finds you well! I was given your name by a colleague of mine in reference to making myself available to work with Your Company. I’m primarily an English to Portuguese translator but also can do revision and proofreading as well. Can you let me know what we need to have me start working for Your Company?
Regards,
Joricho Muachos
Professional Portuguese Translator
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From: Joricho Muachos
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 10:09 AM
To: Linguistic Resources Coordinator
Subject: Re: Experianced Linguist Ready to Work!
Hello Ms. Linguistic Resources Coordinator,
Can you please advise on what steps are needed to start work with Your Company. Money has been very scarce lately and my Mule Milosh is almost without feed.
Regards,
Joricho Muachos
Professional Portuguese Translator
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From: Linguistic Resources Coordinator
To: Joricho Muachos
Sent: Mon, April 5, 2010 10:43:15 AM
Subject: RE: Experianced Linguist Ready to Work!
Hi Joricho,
Thank you for your email. If you would like to be considered for work with our Company, please send me your CV. I will review it and see if you
qualify to undergo our translation testing process.
Best,
Linguistic Resources Coordinator
________________________________
From: Joricho Muachos
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 2:51 PM
To: Linguistic Resources Coordinator
Subject: Re: Experianced Linguist Ready to Work!
Hello Linguistic Resources Coordinator,
Attached is my resume. I would like to breifly summarize it for you.
In my earlier years I spend time as both a Goat Herder and a Mule Whisperer. As unorthodox as this sounds both of these professions are highly regarded in my country. Mule whispering is not a skill but a gift from our lord. It is with this blessing I can speak the thoughts of mules and become their intimate friend. Soon after whispering to many a mules I decided to shift my expertise to Goat Herding. In this job I showed the
goats where to go. If one got sick or was slow I had to beat it death with a rock so not to slow the rest of the herd down.
Thanks,
Joricho
________________________________
From: Linguistic Resources Coordinator
To: Joricho Muachos
Sent: Mon, April 5, 2010 4:04:36 PM
Subject: RE: Experianced Linguist Ready to Work!
Hi Joricho,
Thank you for you CV. You have a lot of very interesting experiences. However, Our Company requires that all of our translators have a university degree. They also must have 5 years of translation experience and provide 2 end-client references. Therefore, you are unfortunately not a candidate for working with us.
Thank you for you time and have a nice day.
Best,
Linguistic Resources Coordinator
________________________________
From: Joricho Muachos
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 4:22 PM
To: Linguistic Resources Coordinator
Subject: Re: Experianced Linguist Ready to Work!
Linguistic Resources Coordinator,
This is most dissappointing to hear. Someone told me translation was an easy way to make additional money for my new film “The Quiet Mule who Spoke Loudly one time because he was Naseous that Day”. If this doesn’t pan out its back to Goat Herding. Do you think if I use more business words in my resume like instead of “Telling Goats where to go” to say “Managed a team of 148 Goats” might help some of my future job potential? Can a Mule that I’ve whispered to count as a reference? I know you cannot understand them but I can tell you what they are saying. One of my Mule Whispering clients is the most famous Mule breeder in all of Europe for our lords sake!
I want to move to the united states but the need for Goat Herders and Mule Whisperers is small which worries me. Also my personal Mule will not be able to come because of your laws. I know you see a lot of resumes and anything to help me make mine better would be appreciated! Maybe i can give you a free Mule whispering lesson in return! 🙂
Joricho.
A change is gonna come… April 1, 2010
Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation.5 comments
Everyone is all atwitter about the changes to the ProZ.com’s job posting system. I’m hoping it isn’t an April Fool’s joke and change is truly coming to the ProZ.com job posting system.
First a little background for those of you who are hearing about this for the first time. On February 23, a small group of freelance translators (mainly based in Italy) created a petition to protest ProZ.com’s job policies. As the linked article explains, “The main point of the petition was to ask Proz to stop allowing outsourcers to set rates in the job posting section of the website, in the belief that this facility (for outsourcers to state the rate offered along with the job) is a fundamental distortion of the client – buyer relationship, a distortion that has contributed, the instigators of the petition claimed, to the continuing downward drive in market rates for professional translation services, and the ensuing race to the bottom.” 844 translators signed in support, but the petition was closed early before more translators had a chance to sign it. However, the ProZ.com staff (and Henry D.) sat up and took notice.
ProZ.com has just announced it will remove the pricing field (client-set fees) from job postings and will be posting information concerning the price of professional translation. There will be other changes as well, as yet to be determined. This is a huge change, but I cannot help but think that the damage has already been done. These controls should have been in place from the very beginning. Hopefully these changes will be the first step in stopping the downward spiral of translation prices.
Musings from an overworked translator 